The Organised Labour in Nigeria comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has declared an indefinite nationwide strike from Monday, June 3rd over the failure of the federal government to conclude negotiations on a new national minimum wage and reverse the hike in the electricity tariff.
The strike was declared at a joint press conference by NLC President Joe Ajaero and TUC President Festus Osifo.
According to the organised labour, the strike has become necessary as the Federal Government appears recalcitrant in its refusal to increase the N60,000 it offered at the resumption of the tripartite committee meeting in Abuja on Friday.
Osifo stated, “As you are aware, we had the last meeting preceding today, which was on Tuesday. In that meeting, they (the government) offered N60,000. They invited us for a meeting today (Friday), and we deliberated on it, thinking they were showing the necessary commitment.
“To our surprise, there was no serious representation from either the Federal Government or the state governors who are supposed to be part of the negotiations.
“So, technically, we felt they have abandoned us because they remained adamant about the N60,000 offer. Not even a kobo was added to what we rightfully rejected.”
The organized labour has previously withdrawn from negotiations and rejected two offers from the Federal Government, the latest being N60,000, while they persist in demanding N497,000 as the minimum wage.
Following the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, the cost of living in Nigeria has soared, leading to increased demands for a new minimum wage.
In response to these challenges, labor leaders have proposed various measures, including a new minimum wage and alternative modes of transportation, to mitigate the impact of subsidy removal.
Subsequently, the government established a committee comprising labor leaders, government officials, and representatives from the organised private sector to negotiate a new minimum wage.
Despite multiple meetings, the committee has been unable to reach a consensus, resulting in the recent strike action by labor leaders. The Federal Government has yet to comment on the latest actions of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
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